FMPA Weekly
A weekly e-newsletter for FMPA members
March 4, 2019
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LAST WEEK
Solar RFP
FMPA issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) last Friday for a solar power purchase agreement for phase II of the Florida Municipal Solar Project. The RFP seeks proposals for 74.5 MW of solar energy on behalf of interested FMPA members. Responses are due April 5. Contact: Susan Schumann
Jacksonville Beach Visit
Ann Beckwith, Linda Howard, Navid Nowakhtar and Jason Wolfe met recently with staff from Beaches Energy Services in Jacksonville Beach. Discussion topics included a draft of the load forecast and FMPA’s budget process.
APPA Legislative Rally
Nearly 40 representatives from FMPA, the Florida Municipal Electric Association and 16 member cities traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to attend the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Legislative Rally. While in the nation’s capital, participants met with Senate and House members or their staff to discuss federal legislative issues related to electric utilities, including FEMA reimbursement, pole attachments, municipal bonds and environmental regulations. A copy of the Federal Legislative Issues Summary is available on the Portal. Pictures from some of the meetings are posted on FMPA’s Facebook page. Contact: Mark McCain
Florida Lineman Competition
Electric utility lineworkers from Clay Electric and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) earned a trip to participate in a national lineworkers’ competition courtesy of FMPA as part of their prize for winning the annual Florida Lineman Competition held last Friday and Saturday in Gainesville. Judges selected Justin Dickerson of GRU as the top apprentice, and the winning journeyman team from Clay Electric included Matt Hickey, Dave Poncher and Damian Stewart. Dickerson will receive $1,000 and the Clay Electric team will receive $3,000 to pay for travel expenses to participate in a national competition. Join us in congratulating the winners and all the participants.
Florida Chambers Bottom Line Video
The Florida Chamber of Commerce last week released a video interview with Jacob Williams. The video discusses the importance of affordable electricity and how it helps power Florida’s economic development. The video is posted on the Chamber’s website.
Florida Engineer in Training Exam
Congratulations to Emmanuel Hernandez for passing his Florida Engineer exam, making him a Florida Engineer in Training. This will allow Emmanuel to then take the Principles and Practices exam for the Professional Engineer license, which he will be able to sit for next year.
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THIS WEEK
ABB Customer World Conference
Navid Nowakhtar travels to Houston, Texas, on Monday to attend the ABB Customer World Conference. Breakout sessions will include presentations on best practices in resource planning and the newest software tools available, including the PROMOD production cost model that FMPA uses for long-term planning.
NERC Quarterly Meetings
Carter Manucy and Carl Turner travel to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for quarterly meetings of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Carter serves on the Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee, and Carl serves on the Planning Committee.
Human Resources Roundtable
FMPA hosts a Human Resources Roundtable on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FMPA’s Orlando office. The roundtable provides a forum for participants to discuss human resources topics, including benefits, recruiting, retention, training, policies and more. The roundtable is open to any FMPA utility staff member who has an interest in human resources topics. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
FPL Okeechobee Plant Visit
Tim Jackson and David Schumann travel to Vero Beach on Tuesday to tour the Okeechobee Clean Energy Center. During their visit, they will meet with staff from Florida Power & Light and General Electric to discuss the new gas turbine technology and plant efficiency improvements.
SERC Compliance Seminar
Brandon McCormick travels to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday for the Southeast Electric Reliability Council’s Spring Compliance Seminar. Discussion topics will include Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program updates, NERC reliability standards and bulk power system reliability.
Member City Visits
Jacob Williams will attend the Kissimmee Utility Authority’s Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday to present a Resolution of Appreciation to Jim Welsh for his dedication to FMPA and Florida’s municipal electric utilities. Jim is retiring at the end of March after 36 years of service to KUA.
Stanton Participants Meeting
Tim Jackson, Rich Popp, David Schumann and Susan Schumann travel to the Stanton Energy Center on Thursday for a quarterly meeting of the Stanton owners. Participants will discuss operating, environmental and budget issues for the Stanton units.
All-Requirements Project Weekly Load Statistics
The weekly update of the All-Requirements Project historical load graph has been posted to the Portal. The graph is updated through March 3. Contact: Jim Arntz
Special Dates
Happy anniversary to Jesse Rivera, who celebrates one year with FMPA on Tuesday, March 5.
Happy anniversary to Denise Fuentes who celebrates 13 years with FMPA on Wednesday, March 6.
Happy anniversary to Ian Beason, who celebrates three years with FMPA on Thursday, March 7.
Happy anniversary to Brandon McCormick, who celebrates three years with FMPA on Thursday, March 7.
Happy anniversary to Sue Utley, who celebrates 15 years with FMPA on Friday, March 8.
Happy anniversary to John Lee, who celebrates 32 years with FMPA on Saturday, March 9.
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COMING UP
March Governing Board Meetings
FMPA’s governing boards will meet March 21 in Orlando with the Board of Directors beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the Executive Committee at 9:30 a.m. Contact: Jacob Williams
Substation Awareness Basics
FMPA holds another Substation Awareness Basics training class April 9-10 at Campbell Kelly Community Center in Quincy. This is the first time the Substation Series Training has been held in the panhandle. The two-day session will provide participants with in-depth instruction on substation-related topics and will be tailored to the specific equipment of the attendees’ utilities, where possible. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Advanced Lineworker Program
The second module of the Advanced Lineworker Program is April 10-11 in Kissimmee. The training is offered through the FMPA-ECG Alliance. The program lasts one year and includes four, two-day modules. It is designed for Lead or Journeyman linemen with a minimum of four years of experience. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Lineman’s Roundtable
FMPA will host a Lineman’s Roundtable on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kissimmee Utility Authority. The roundtable provides a forum for line crews to exchange ideas on operating practices, safety, training, tools, equipment and other common issues. The roundtable is open to all levels of utility line crew personnel, as well as any utility staff member who has an interest in transmission and distribution topics. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided. Contact: Sharon Samuels
Thermal/Infrared Service Bid
The Thermal/Infrared Service Bid is up for renewal. Members are invited to participate in the coming up bid. Contact: Sharon Samuels
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INDUSTRY NEWS
BP Spill Money to Help Counties Affected by Hurricane Michael
Money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill will help four Northwest Florida counties with anticipated property-tax losses caused by Hurricane Michael. The Triumph Gulf Coast Board agreed to use $15 million for losses incurred by local governments in Bay, Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla counties. Triumph Gulf Coast, a non-profit created by the Legislature, will provide the money from the state’s $2 billion BP settlement. The board initially proposed setting aside the money through bridge loans to the local governments. Instead, it agreed to ask the four counties to each submit a list of projected property-tax losses from the storm that will be incurred by the counties, municipalities and school districts. It is estimated that the money will be dispersed by the end of April.
Andrew Wheeler Confirmed as EPA Administrator
The U.S. Senate voted 52-47 last Thursday to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wheeler had served as EPA’s acting director since Scott Pruitt resigned last July. President Donald Trump said in November that he planned to nominate Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, for the top job, saying he had done a “fantastic job” in his interim role. The vote went mostly along party lines and underscored partisan divisions over the Trump administration’s environmental policies.
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FMPA Weekly is published by FMPA for employees and governing boards of FMPA member utilities. Questions or comments about this newsletter may be directed to Carolyn Dingley in FMPA’s Public Relations Department.
Want more background on the names and terms used in this newsletter? Check out FMPA’s Glossary, which features some of the most frequently mentioned committees, companies, places and terms, or contact the person named in each FMPA story to learn more.
Have a question, comment or story idea for the newsletter? FMPA welcomes your feedback at any time. Contact: Carolyn Dingley
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Florida Municipal Power Agency
8553 Commodity Circle
Orlando, FL 32819-9002
Tel 407 355-7767
Fax 407 355-5794
www.fmpa.com
Community Power. Statewide Strength. ®
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